Trojan Pest Control Services

A brief description:                                                                                                                                                                The House Mouse (Mus Musculus) is the most common mouse species found when it comes to domestic and commercial infestations, the presence of Wood Mice also referred to as Field Mice ( Apodemus Sylvaticus) are another species occasionally found in infestations.  

Visual sightings will provide the biggest confirmation of rodent activity; however visual sightings won’t always confirm the rodent’s identity, as most people are unable to differentiate mice from rats.                                                                                                            

The fur of mice will vary in shades from light brown to dark brown in colour, the body lengths of adult mice will also vary but on average the body length from nose to the base of the tail will be around 9cm-10cm and the tail length will be around 5cm-6cm.

The weight of mice will also vary but on average the weight of adult mice will be around 15g-20g that’s roughly the equivalent in weight of 2 50 pence coins.

Life span and reproduction:                                                                                                                                    

Mice can have a life span of around 2-3 yrs but will rarely reach or exceed a life span of

12months.

The Lifespan will depend on many factors, such as living conditions, availability of food and thethreat from predators and “pest controllers” etc.                                            

Male mice are sexually mature at around 8 weeks and females at 6 weeks, and females will be able to produce between 5-10 litters a year.

Litters will vary in size and the quantity of offspring in each litter will vary from 3-14 young, but onaverage litter will consist of 6-8 young.

With a gestation period of only 19 days-21 days, it’s easy for mice and their offspring toproduce tens of thousands of mice in only a year.

New born mice are born blind and fur less, fur will start too grown after 3-4 days and eyes willopen after 1-2 weeks.        

Habitat and living conditions:                                                                                                                                   

Mice are found in many locations such as woodland areas, on farmland, in

hedgerows and fields etc, but are also a common problem in domestic and commercial premises.

Building and dwellings occupied and inhabited by humans will provide mice with the best environment for living and nesting due to the fact these locations provide an environment that’s warm, safe and will provide an abundance of food and food waste we leave behind.                                    

Due to their size, mice are able to fit through very small gaps and cracks (if the gap or hole is bigenough to fit your finger in) it will be an easily accessible entry point for mice.

Mice can also enter from outside via possible entry points such as air bricks, if theventilation holes on the airbricks are big enough it would allow mice to enter the building and move around the building by gaining access to the cavity wall and the void under the floor.

Once mice have gained entry to the cavity walls and voids of the premise, they will start entering the internal areas of the ground floor first, the most common places an infestation will occur first is in kitchens (under units) and storage areas under stairs, as these areas tend to havegaps and holes around floor wall junctions and also spaces around wiring and pipe work that will allow miceeasy access.

In older properties mice can also gain entry to internal areas via gaps around radiator pipes and also gaps between flooring and skirting boards will also create an easy entry point.

External access is not always the reason behind a mouse problem; in many domesticproperties we attend we find neighbouring properties will also be experiencing issues with mice,as their size and ability to squeeze though small areas will allow them to move betweenproperties.

An ideal living and nesting place for mice will be in areas inaccessible or hard to access by humans or predators, such as voids under floors, in loft spaces, cluttered storage areas and spaces under kitchen units behind kickboards, as these places will provide a safe environment that with access to voids if disturbed and will also provide mice with access to internal areas vias mall gaps around kitchen units and kickboards.             

How to determine the presence of Mice:                                                                                                         Mice are nocturnal so they tend to be present when humans aren’t around, late at night when it’s quiet so it’s very unlikely you will come face to face with a mouse however there’s many other tell-tales signs.                                                                                                            

Visual sightings will provide the biggest confirmation of rodent activity; however visual sightings won’t always confirm the rodent’s identity, as most people are unable to differentiate mice from rats.                    

Food damage is usually the first indication of a rodent problem, missing items, chewed packets, food debris and crumbs strew around floors and in cupboards.

Mouse droppings will be easily visible in open areas as mice can leave upto 70 droppings a day, and tend to leaving droppings in resting, eating and nesting locations, if you find what you think could be the droppings the best way to tell would be the size, mouse droppings are black or brown wet when fresh and hard when dry, they are approx 3mm-6mm in length and approx 1 mm in width and tapered. 

Noises and sound can also confirm rodent activity, hearing scurrying or movement in walls, under floor and the sound of rustling bags, additionally the sounds of gnawing and squeaking will also provide confirmation of rodent activity.                    

Noises and sound can also confirm rodent activity, hearing scurrying or movement in walls, under floor and the sound of rustling bags, additionally the sounds of gnawing and squeaking will also provide confirmation of rodent activity.

Strange and unusual behaviour exhibited by pet cats and dogs can also provide confirmation of rodent activity, with a strong sense of smell and hearing, pets in most situations will be the first to detect the presence of rodent activity.

An example of unusual behaviour a pet might display once they have detected the presence of rodent activity is taking a sudden keen interest or staring at a particular area for long periods of time.                                                                                                      

Another example of unusual behaviour pets might display is a sudden disinterest in food, avoidance or reduced consumptions occurs when pet food left out becomes contaminated by rodents that come into contact with pet food or by rodents feeding from pet’s bowls and containers.

Smells are also another indication of a rodent problem, a build up of urine left behind will produce a pungent, lingering smell similar to ammonia, this usually applies in situations where a rodent problem is left untreated, resulting  in a bigger infestation and an increase in activity.       

Visual indications left behind by rodents will also provide confirmation in addition to helping locate the main areas of activity.

Examples of visual evidence will be the appearance of oily black residue left on wall and surface in areas of high traffic, runs and routes used by rodents when moving around.

The oily black residue known as smear marks consist of dirt, dust and greasy deposits picked up on the fur and bodies of rodents and transferred to the surfaces when brushed up against along runs and routes that will become more visually apparent, as a build up of smear marks occur over longer periods of time or by high levels of traffic moving through these areas.   

Health and disease:                                                                                                                     Mice are an extreme hazard to health, as diseases can be transmitted via coming into contact with urine and faeces, or through being bitten.

Lyme disease and salmonella are common diseases associated with mice, but they can cause other health complaints such as headaches, vomiting, renal failure, intestinal disorder and respiratory problems. Etc